


Fighting to Breathe

by cathcer1984



Series: It Starts with Pride [9]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Awesome Sheriff Stilinski, Isaac Lahey Being an Asshole, M/M, Sheriff Stilinski is a Good Dad, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Stiles Stilinski Has Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-27
Updated: 2018-10-27
Packaged: 2019-08-08 05:49:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16423604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cathcer1984/pseuds/cathcer1984
Summary: Derek and Stiles have a fight.





	Fighting to Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry! They didn't want to be happy, the fight came out of nowhere I just had to write it. Don't worry I will fix it. I can't not have a happy end. Eventually.

"It's too early." Derek said as Stiles dragged him from the car and into Mo's Diner.

"Stop whining. It's seven, Derek. It's breakfast time." Stiles bounded inside and waved at Mo before sitting in one of the booths.

"Seven am. In the morning." Derek slumped next to him, leaning heavily into Stiles' shoulder. "Nobody should be awake at seven in the morning. I was sleeping so nicely."

Stiles patted Derek on the head condescendingly. "There, there. Don't be such a baby. Are you working today?"

"I suppose. I have to finish going over the menu with Boyd, and Erica and I need to set up interviews for the part-time staff and I need to go over the stock for the bar with Isaac."

Humming, Stiles bit his lip before asking "What's the deal with Isaac? He did not like me."

"Ah." Derek said, a little guiltily before sitting up properly. "What time will your dad get here? His shift ends at seven right?"

"Don't change the subject. That 'ah' meant something. What Derek?" Stiles glared at his boyfriend. "Is he an ex?"

Derek shook his head. "No, no. Nothing like that I wouldn't sleep with a staff member. Part of this is not my story to tell okay? But I helped him out of a rough spot gave him a job and roof over his head. He doesn't like living alone and since I met you I've been spending ninety percent of my time here and not in L.A. He resents my relationship with you because I've put you first, even when you went away to college."

"Sounds like he's clinging on when he should just want you to be happy? Shouldn't he be grateful you gave him a job and a home? Then to be like that-" Stiles waved a hand around and pulled a disdainful face "-is just plain rude."

Sighing Derek pursed his lips, "He has his issues Stiles. We all do. It's easy for you to judge him but his demons are big. I haven't been a good friend to him. I haven't been a good friend to any of them for the past few months. I was selfish and they suffered."

Stiles eyed Derek carefully before saying "You're not their dad. You don't owe them anything more than what you have already done. And as _friends_ things go both ways. It's a two way street, not give from one and take from the other."

"He doesn't just take, Stiles. You wouldn't understand."

"You're right I don't understand. My best friend is at Cornell and if I don't contact him, he contacts me. It's not all one way. If Isaac resents me because he wants you all to himself then he probably needs more help than you can give him." Stiles clenched his jaw from saying anything more because Derek was staring at him like he'd never seen him before.

"That's not always how it works. Not everybody has healthy relationships." Derek spoke carefully, quietly.

"And when you recognize those relationships aren't healthy you get out." Stiles said matter-of-factly.

"Have you ever done that?" Derek demanded. "Just got out because it wasn't healthy. Left someone high and dry."

"I did not leave him high and dry, Derek. I told him that it wasn't healthy, I told him that it wasn't working. I couldn't be his emotional punching bag, I couldn't feel guilty for making a joke. Everything I said was taken seriously, every time he had a bad day I was his safe place. He told me he loved me after two dates. That's not healthy. So I got the fuck out and haven't spoken to him since. And if you think that makes me cruel or cold or selfish for putting my mental and emotional well-being over someone else's then we have problems other than Isaac's attitude." Stiles was breathing heavily and Derek kept opening his mouth and shutting it but nothing came out.

"Morning boys." The Sheriff said as he slid into the booth. "Am I interrupting?"

"No." Derek said, politely even as his arms crossed his chest and his jaw clenched.

At the same time Stiles spat out a hard "yes."

The Sheriff looked between the two of them, "Anything I can help with?" When neither of them said anything, he continued; "maybe I should get my coffee to go."

"That sounds like a fantastic idea, John. I might just do that myself." Derek practically snarled before he flung himself out of the booth and up to the counter.

Stiles watched helplessly as Derek took his paper cup, slid a note over to Mo and he started towards the door. He paused at their table and said "I'm going to work. I'll see you later." Before he was out the door and striding off down the street.

"What was that about?"

"I- I don't even know." Stiles felt cold and sad. "I met some of his work friends last night and one of them was rude, disdainful. Really didn't like me, didn't like that Derek was leaving work to be with me. I asked him about it and apparently Derek feels like he's neglecting his friends because of me, I'm to blame for this bloke, Isaac, to be a bastard because I'm stealing his friend. And I told Derek about Carl and he thinks I'm cold-hearted for not helping him through his problems. I just don't know."

Stiles' dad sighed. "It's not easy, son. Both you and Derek are probably highly emotional, you've each been under a lot of stress and being together for the first time in four months..." he trailed off as a waitress came by, she took their order and they stayed in silence for bit.

"Scott's not like that. I've probably not talked to him as much because of Derek but he doesn't hate Derek for it."

"No, but you were awfully possessive of Scott when he first met Allison. You wanted to hate her because she was spending so much time with him."

"But I didn't actually hate her." Stiles pointed out petulantly.

"No," his dad agreed. "But you were rude when you first met her and then when you got to know her it all changed."

"I love her as much as Scott. I already have my best man speech written, just waiting for her to propose. Scott's too chicken shit, he still thinks she's going to leave him for someone better." Stiles laughed but stopped when he saw his dad's face. "I get your point. Isaac is me, Derek is Scott and I'm Allison. I should probably go and make nice."

"You probably should." Stiles' dad nodded and then grinned when his breakfast was placed in front of him.

"I don't remember you being allowed bacon. I did not say you could have bacon!" Stiles cried out almost knocking his own plate of the table.

The Sheriff laughed, "it's payment for my therapy skills."

"That's called parenting, it's your job!" Stiles watched in horror as his dad shrugged before taking a large bite of bacon. "If you die from a heart attack I have the right to engrave 'I told you so' on your headstone."

"At least I'll have tasted bacon before I go, delicious heavenly bacon."

*

Stiles knocked on the door to the restaurant feeling a strange sense of deja-vu when Isaac opened the door again, scowling at him. "Hey," Stiles waved the brown paper bag in Isaac's face. "I brought breakfast."

"I'm not hungry." Isaac sniped as Stiles pushed passed him.

"More for Derek then." Stiles said as he made his way to where Derek was sitting at a table with paperwork. "I got you a blueberry muffin."

"Peace offering?" Isaac said, nastily. Derek was watching Stiles' face as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Stiles opened them to look at Derek, ignoring Isaac.

"It's your favourite, from the cafe around the corner." Stiles said. He opened the bag, "Still warm from the oven. Perks of being up so early." Stiles smiled, silently inviting Derek to join in on the joke. When Derek just sat there staring at his paperwork Stiles sighed.

Isaac sat down smirking when Derek looked up at him for a second. "I understand, Isaac. I was in your place once. My best friend got a girlfriend and I was jealous, I didn't want to share him. But now she's one of my best friends too, so I hope that one day we'll be friends as well."

Scoffing, Isaac sneered. "I'm not jealous. You're not good enough for him."

"What?" Stiles was stunned.

"You're twenty, he's six years older and ready to settle down. You're _just_ starting college. It won't last, and you aren't good enough." Isaac crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow daring Stiles to respond.

"I-" Stiles turned to Derek who was glancing between them. "You're going to let him say that?"

"What do you want me to say, Stiles?" Derek sounded defeated.

"Fucking anything!" Stiles shouted. "How about a 'you're wrong Isaac' or a 'that's not true' or an 'I love him so it doesn't matter'. How can you just sit there and let him tell me I'm not good enough? Unless you think he's right? Somewhere deep down you think he's right, I'm not good enough. Well fuck you Derek. Fuck you so much. I am good enough. And if you're going to treat me like shit in front of your friends or let them treat me like shit then maybe you're the one that's not good enough. I deserve better than this. I deserve to be _treated_ better!" Stiles flung the muffin on the table and stormed out the restaurant.

He made his way to his car, he waited for five minutes but Derek never came after him. Stiles' hands shook, his chest got tight and he struggled to see through blurred vision. He managed to get his phone and hold it to his ear.

"Stiles?"

"Dad." He gasped out.

"Where are you?"

"Restaurant."

"Hold on Stiles, I'll be there in five. Breath with me son, in two-three, out two-three. That's it good boy, and again. In two-three, out two-three." The Sheriff stayed on the phone and Stiles could hear the sirens, he choked out a laugh at his dad's dramatics.

When he saw the sirens stop behind his car, Stiles fumbled to hang up the phone. His dad came round and pulled the door open, Stiles leaned heavily on his dad as he got out of the car. He could see Derek and Isaac, along with other people watching from the sidewalk and windows, drawn there by the sirens.

The Sheriff helped Stiles into the passenger seat of the cruiser before strapping him in and wiping the tears from his face. He shut the door and Stiles heard him say, in his Sheriff voice, "Don't even think about it Hale. He's in this state because of you."

Stiles refused to look up and see what Derek was doing, or going to do. His dad got in and started the car. Stiles let out a laugh that sounded more like a sob. "You're in your pajamas."

"I didn't have time to get changed. You haven't sounded like that in a long time."

"Sorry."

"Don't apologize. You're safe now, son." He reached out and held Stiles' hand, gripping tightly and not letting go. And Stiles held one because no matter what, he always had his dad.


End file.
